Railroad track gauge, level, and aligning tool



Filed Aug. 26, 1958 P. F. FISCHER RAILROAD TRACK GUAGE, LEVEL, ANDALIGNING TOOL 2 Sheets-*Sheet l Attorneys Gct. 1, 1940. p F,.FiscHER2,216,436

RAILROAD TRACK GUAGE, LEVEL, AND LIQNING TOOL Filed Aug. 26, 1958 l2Sheets-Sheet 2 [in Uehtor Patented Oct. '1, 1940 UNITED .STATES RAILROADTRACK GAUGE, LEVEL,

ALIGNING TOOLl l Paul F. Fischen-Straeten N. Dak., assigner of onethirdto Franklin H.

Jahnke, Alfred, N. Dak.,

and one-third to Oscar Olson, Streeter, N. Dak.

Application August' 26,

2 Claims.

My invention relates generally to means for use by a railroadroadmaste'r in checking the spread, the level and the alignment oftrack, and particularly to a combined track gauge, level, and alignmenttool, and an important robject of my invention is to provide a tool ofthis character whichis very compact and easily portable when in acollapsed condition, and which greatly facilitates the maintenance andlaying of track.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom a reading of the following' description taken in connection withthe dra rings, wherein for purposes'of illustration I have setu forth apreferred embodiment of my invention.

in the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general side elevational view of the tool showing the samein extended or open position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan View of a portion ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through Figure1 approximately on the line Li-i of Figure l and looking downwardly inthe direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken throughFigure 1 approximately on the line 5 5 of Figure 1 and looking towardthe left in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through Figure2' approximately on the line 6 6.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan View of the insulated block.

Referring in detail to4 the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designatesthe tool which is composed of the elongated generally rectangularsection t and the generally rectangular elongated section l, the innerand abutting ends of the sections being connected by a hinge 8 at whatis normally the bottom of the tool, so that the sections may be foldedtogether to make the tool compact for carrying and storage purposes, andwhile the tool is in use as an aligning tool, in which operation thesection S alone is necessarily used.

On left hand outer end of section 6 is an insulated block 9 (Fig. '7)which is attached/thereto by means of a screw l0 and this insulatedblock has an oval opening Il to enable operator of instrument todeterminewhether contact portions I2 and i3 are both against the rail sothat main part of 6 and 1 rests across rails exactly at right angles tothe rails when gauging or aligning track. The bottom part of insulatedblock 3 (as shown in Figure 1) is of suchdiment sions as to permit it todrop down between main rail and guard rails and in frogs at switches193s, serial No. 227,@05

(Cl. .S3-'145) position illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of thel drawingsand can be used ineither an upwardly projecting position or a downwardlyprojecting position at an angle of ninety degrees with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the tool-,the

mounting'pin it being arranged in connection.y with a bracket lilfastened to the side ofthe section 5 and having an upper cut-out i9 anda lower cut-out 263 to receive the side of the pin to hold the same inalignment when'the pin is in an upwardly projecting position and in adownwardly projecting' position, respectively.

On a side of the section 6 adjacent the `location of the pin il' is theslide plate 2l which is mounted by respective bolts or screws 22, 23which are fastened in the top of the section 6 and pass through slots2li, 25 in the plate il.v A handle 26 is provided on the left hand endoi"- the slide to enable manipulating the slide across? the jointbetween the sections l and 'l when vthe sections are in opened oraligned position; and under the retainer plate 21 which has a portion 28bolted as indicated by the numeral 29 to the top of the section 'i andhas an upset portion 30 under which the slide 2| fits, the upset sectionbeing equipped with a thumb screw or wing nut 3l which is adapted to beturned down to bear on the top ofthe plate 2l to lock the same in placeand to hold the sections 6 and l positively aligned in their extendedopen positions.

Referring nowv to the section E the same has on top and bottomrespective bubble levels 32, 33 either of which may be brought intoservice according to the position of the tool. Adjacent the outer end ofthe section` 'l is a vertical slot in which is adjustable a rule 3dwhich is adapted to'be held in adjusted position by a set screw 35 andwhich traverses the opposite 'wall 36 of the section 'i as shown inFigure 4 and engages against the adjacent side of the rule 34.

Slidably telescoped on the section 'l at a point inward of the rule 3ftis the slide which is generally designated 3l' and which is traversed bya clamping bolt 38 which passes also through slots 39 and Il@ in theopposite sides of the spread.

By referring to Figure 5 of the drawings the with graduationsndZ`whichindicatethe track` specic construction of the mounting for the pinI1 may be understood as comprising the already mentioned bracket I8which has a bushing 43 which extends into a tubular part 44 in the wallof the section 6 and threads therein, with the bolt I4 passing beyondthe bushing and having a head 45 between which and the bushing is anexpanding spring 46 whose purpose is to pull the bolt I4 in a right handdirection as viewed in Figure 5 when the pointer or pin I1 has beenpulled out and then is brought into alignment with one of the openingsI9 and 20, in e'ecting an operative adjustment of the pin.

In employing the device of the invention in ordinary track gaugingoperations, the same is taken oi the car or other supporting means andthe sections brought into alignment and then the slide 2I is pushed intoposition and locked by means of the set screw 3 I. For leveling ordetermining whether the track is level, the bubble level 32 or 33 isemployed. If when the instrument is laid on the tops of the rails thebubble level is off center, the rule 34 in the slot 33 is broughtintouse. The rule equipped end of the device is raised until the level beadis in the level position, the movement being made relative to the rule34, so that the amount of movement relative to the starting point on therule 34 can be readily determined to show exactly how high or low therail is at the point gauged. If desired the instrument can be turnedup-side-down and the level 33 can be used instead of the level 32.

To gauge the amount of rail spread the device is laid upon the rails sothat the insulated block 9 rests on one of the rails and the points I 2,I3 or one of them snugly engage the inside of the rail. Then byadjusting the slide 31 on the opposite end of the device relative to thegraduations 42 it can be quickly determined how much the rails arespread. The slide 31 may, if desired, be set at 561/2 inches by movingthe same to the proper graduation and turning down the thumb screw nut4I, and then the track can be gauged from rail to rail. The graduations42 conveniently run from 56 to 57% inches.

The block 9 is made of insulating material to eliminate any possibilityof shorting circuits in automatic block territory. In view of thisprovision, there is no possible chance of putting a block signal intooperation as a result of dropping the device across the rails. The block9 is so constructed that the track can be gauged or leveled Where guardrails are in use and can be used at frogs and switches, since it is ofsuch shape and dimensions as will permit it to drop down between themain rail and the guard rail.

When the device of the invention is used for aligning tracks, it is usedeither folded up in a compact portable form or extended as it is intrack leveling operations. This makes the device available forconstruction crews and other maintenance crews in laying new tracks orre-aligning tracks.

To use the instrument for aligning tracks when the instrument is openedup-as a track level or track gauge, the pin I1 is turned so that itpoints downwardly. The mounting I4 is so located that when the pin I1points downwardly the point of the pin I1 is exactly 281A inches fromthe terminals I2, I3 on the block 9. 561A.; inches being lthe centergauge, the distance 281A inches from the terminals of the block 9 isexactly the center of the track. The center of the track is generallysurveyed and staked out by civil engineers and a tack is driven in thestake exactly where the center of the track should be. By resting theinsulating block on the rails so that the terminals I2 and I3 are upagainst the inside of the rail, the rail can be moved in toward themiddle of the track until the pin I1 indicates where the rail should bespiked by pointing directly to the tack on the stakes as placed by theengineers. This aligning operation can be done with the instrument in anopen or closed position by simply changing the direction of projectionof the pin I1 so that it points upwardly. As a matter of fact it wouldbe seldom necessary to have the instrument in the open position whenaligning track, since there never is more than one rail laid at a timeand it is not necessary to open up the instrument to align this rail ortrack. Incidentally the pin I1 can be entirely removed when not in useby screwing the same out of the collar I5 so as to thereby eliminate anypossibility of the pin injuring a workman. The pin I1 can be of diierentlengths depending on the requirements of the particular railroad orroadbed and the size of the rails being used.

' Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment ofmy invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire tolimit the application of the invention thereto, and any change orchanges may be made in the materials and in the structure andarrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A roadmasters tool comprising a bar, rail engaging blocks on oppositeends of the bar, a pointer swingably mounted intermediate the ends ofsaid bar, said pointer being pivoted on a horizontal axis to swing froma position in alignment with said bar to a depending operative position,a pivot traversing a portion of said bar and being longitudinallyslidable on its axis relative to the bar and on which said pointerswings, said pointer being formed with a projection and said bar beingformed with horizontal and ver- A tical recesses, and spring meansacting between said bar and said pivot for resisting longitudinalmovement of said pivot so as to retain said projection on the pointerseated in either the horizontal or the vertical recess.

2. A roadmasters tool comprising a bar having rail engaging blocks onits opposite ends, a pointer swingably mounted between the ends of saidbar to lie along said bar or to depend therefrom, said bar having avertical longitudinal wall laterally spaced from another part of thebar, said wall being formed with an opening, a tubular bushing securedin said opening and having a head engaging the laterally outward face ofsaid wall, said head being formed in its laterally outward side with afirst groove extending parallel to the length of the bar and a secondgroove arranged at a divergent angle relative to the first groove, apivot slidable in the bore of said bushing and having a boss on itslaterally inward end, spring means operating between the bushing andsaid boss for urging said pivot in a laterally inward direction, and apointer rod pivotally secured on the laterally outward end of saidpivot, said pivot rod being formed with a lateral projection designed toengage in either of said grooves for holding the pointer aligned withthe bar or depending therefrom.

` PAUL F. FISCHER.

Jil

